Hooting and cavorting through the deep wold of the Dolmenwood are the capricious bat-faced goblins known as the woodgrue. These little men have a head and chest coated in soft downy fur while the rest of their appears like that of a child or little man. They are a frivolous and unsavory lot, known for their gallows humor and enchanting woodwind songs that lure folk even deeper off the trail and into the wood. While mannish folk are known to cautiously welcome these demi-fey into their towns, they know that barring them entry would cause only greater misfortune to follow. While a woodgrue celebrating is cause for concern, they are bound to the same code of hospitality as all faerie things and will only bring grave mischief with them if slighted.

Which is not to say that their general demeanor at a celebration is much better.

Woodgrue, by Andrew Walter

Prime Requisite:

A woodgrue with a CHA of 13 or greater gains a +5% bonus to experience gained. If the woodgrue’s CHA is 16 or greater, that bonus increases to 10%.

Class Abilities

Combat: A woodgrue can make use of any weapon in combat, though they are noted for their love of clubs and cudgels; generally constructed from pilfered or discarded “lesser instruments.” A woodgrue will gladly beat a man to death with a brass bugel or a lyre, but they would consider it sacrilege to use a flute to do so.

Dark Vision: A woodgrue can see normally in darkness, viewing the world as though it glows in faint moonlight.

Hiding: A woodgrue who hides in the woods or in shadows has a 3-in-6 chance of going unnoticed. If they are given a minute, a woodgrue may hide a small object (1’ around or smaller) in a cunning location. For anyone else to discover this hidden item, apply the rules for finding secret doors.

Woodwinding: Woodgrues can communicate on the winds by blowing a tune upon a woodwind instrument. Such communications can be heard by any indentured servant to the demi-fey, as well as by any woodgrue within a number of miles equal to the woodgrue's level. Such songs can be heard even in the Otherwold.

Mad Revelry: A woodgrue may engage in mad revelry for a number of rounds equal to their level, per day. While engaged in such revelry, the woodgrue is dancing terribly, likely playing their flute or fife, and hooting like an insane barn animal being skinned alive. Any individual who hears the mad revelry must make a Save vs Spells, on a failure they do one of the following (d8):

1. Imbibe!

Victims will consume any liquids, drugs, or mushrooms they have on them, be it potable or not. They will act as though it makes them drunk, granting them a -2 to Hit until the revelry ends.

2. Jubilate!

Victims will burst out into terrible laughter, preventing them from speech. If an affected character rolls a failure while laughing, they fall prone and into a laughing fit. They arise, lungs aching but fine, when the revelry ends.

3. Dance!

Victims begin dancing terribly, their footwork following a profane jig that doesn’t make any sense. Those affected cannot move while dancing, but gain a +1 to AC. The dancing stops when the revelry ends.

4. Jape!

The victim mocks the last action performed before their turn, such as a spell being cast or swinging a weapon. This action does not allow a character to do anything they cannot already do, and they suffer a -2 to any action performed. They also do this in a very mocking tone. This japery continues until the revelry ends.

5. Confide!

The victim speaks in a slurred voice, confessing a sin or secret about one of their allies or about some deeply hidden emotion. If offered a drink, they’ll go sit down and drink. If mocked, they go into a berserk rage, gaining +2 to Hit but -2 to AC while the revelry continues.

6. Strip!

Victims begin to doff any armor, feeling far too hot as though they were locked in a sauna. Doffed armor means lowered AC, as well as embarrassment certainly. The victims come to their senses when the revelry ends.

7. Revel!

Victims cannot speak, instead they bark out terrible scats of instruments in an attempt to keep up with the woodgrue. Movement speed is halved if they are not headed in the direction of the woodgrue. This lasts until the revelry ends.

8. Mount!

A victim will attempt to mount an adjacent creature, be it friend or foe, and ride it in the piggyback position. If the bottom creature is unwilling, it can buck the rider off to deal 1d4 damage. Riders come to their senses and lose their seating when the revelry ends.

Drawbacks & Weaknesses

Compelled to Jubilation: A woodgrue who witnesses a party, feast, celebration or festival must partake; they are utterly compelled with every fiber in their being. Save vs Paralysis can prevent a woodgrue from engaging in jubilation, but they feel drained and downtrodden for the length of the engagement. A woodgrue who does engage in such celebration, without hand-written invitation, will randomly cause one of its Mad Revelry effects to occur to an important party; gaining the wrath of the community to the woodgrue and associates.

Silver Sickness: While a woodgrue appreciates the color and sheen of silver, they find it horribly uncomfortable to touch. A woodgrue in contact with silver is sickened and suffers a -2 penalty to attack rolls and saving throws.

Code of Hospitality: Woodgrue are easily bound to ancient rites of hospitality and charity. If a woodgrue is invited into a place by way of handwritten invitation or swearing an oath of good behavior, they are unable to use their Mad Revelry for the duration within or until the next full moon.

Waxing Ears: Any individual who pours wax in ones ears, or dirt, or is naturally deaf, suffers no ill-effects from the woodgrues mad revelry. Many a charlatan and woodsman knows to do this when encountering a woodgrue or entering an area where they are known to frequent.

Tuesday, March 6, 2018

Design Notes: So Ruins & Ronin as well as Sword+1 as a blog, are pretty cool. But like with a lot of "Japanese inspired" but Western type games, I feel like the cool, tenuous walk of life for a samurai is often missed out on. They either get treated like paladins or like fighting-men without too many unique mechanics. I personally, as a fan of Legend of the Five Rings (even when it is a trainwreck), like the Seven Times Down, Eight Times Up approach. Your bushi will go through a lot of different changes in their life, swapping through four different abilities depending on their place in the world. These changes can work from a narrative standpoint, or through natural progression of ones life as a swordsman; shifting from living by the sword in various ways. Even still, these are gross oversimplifications for sake of relative ease of use.

Happily Ruins & Ronin designates everything but its title and art as OGL, so here's my take on the bujin in the form of the bushi.

The Bushi

Requirements: STR 8

Prime Requisite: Strength

Hit Dice: 1d8

Maximum Level: None.

You are bushi, a warrior who follows the code of Bushido and its virtues. You adhere to the calling of war, duels, and violence. Depending on the circumstance of your realm you may be a retained samurai warrior, a yojimbo entrusted with the protection of his master, a kensai meant to duel and seek perfection in the sword, or a masterless ronin who lives on the edge of society by way of mere mercenary work.

Whatever walk of life you might live, expect it to change with the seasons. A retained samurai lose their masters and become ronin, ronin seek out enlightenment in the blade and become kensai, kensai are often hired for their skill to become yojimbo, and yojimbo often impress in their service enough to become a retained samurai. Whatever role you may be, you will be expected to fight from the front in defense of your allies.

The Bushi is the fighting-man class, best suited to enduring and inflicting damages. It is a life valiantly lived and easily lost, valued for the actions it undertakes and the enemies who fall in that brief, blood existence.

Bushi Class Abilities

Weapon & Armor Restrictions: The Bushi is trained in warfare and adapts to it with ease. As a Bushi you are trained in all weapons and armors.

Saving Throws: The Bushi lives a short life, but they live it knowing that they will someday die. Bushi gain a +1 Bonus to Saving Throws against Death and Fear.

XP Bonus for Strength: This class bonus is due to a high strength attribute. This percentage bonus can be added to any payment demanded by the bushi to their employer.

Seven Times Down, Eight Times Up: Upon creating a Bushi, you must roll on the following table to determine where your Bushi is in life. This grants your Bushi an ability, which is in turn lost in favor of a different ability when their life circumstances change.

Bushi Role

d4

Role

Ability

1

Retained Samurai

Honored Sword: ​The Bushi gains a +1 to the Loyalty of any hirelings and does +1 Damage to any enemy of the realm as designated by his master.

2

Ronin

Brutal Sword: On the first round of combat, the Bushi may add their Level to their roll To Hit.

3

Kensai

Lifetaking Sword: The Bushi gains an immediate additional melee attack any time he delivers a killing blow in combat.

4

Yojimbo

Lifegiving Sword:On the first round of combat, the Bushi may add their Level to the AC of any adjacent combatant.

Establish Stronghold (9th Level): At ninth level, a Bushi’s role will determine what sort of stronghold they may construct. A retained samurai or a yojimbo may construct a castle and be considered a daimyo within the realm, attracting a loyal host of 2d10+5 bushi who well swear their fealty in order to become retained samurai or yojimbo in his estate.

A ronin who reaches this level, should they not wish to become a retained samurai, may establish a rogue state by taking over the estate of another faction or constructing a hideout. As they are not held in high regard by Shogunate or Emperor, the ronin will attract a hideous host of 2d20+10 bandits, wako, or ronin who will serve their master loyally provided they are given plunder and hedonistic pleasures.

A kensai who reaches this level and decides not to become a retained samurai, may instead construct a dojo where they may train others. Within a matter of weeks, the kensai will have attracted 4d10+5 bushi students who will loyally seek to learn the truth of steel at the feet of the masters.